Let me know your ways that I may know you, so that I may find favor in your sight. Consider too, that this nation is your people. And He said, “My presence shall go with you, and I will give you rest.1
To find favor in God we must know his ways. Here Moses is questioning God, How will I know that you are with me? We ask this question today, we know we are to put trust in God, leaning on his understanding to direct our ways, and that such will guide us, but how do we know we are on the correct path? the same question can be asked how do I know his will or purpose in my life? If we relate his ways to his will and his will to his presence in our lives then we can ask how do we know we are in his presence? “My presence shall go with you, and I will give you rest.” We shall know when we enter into his rest.
God had told Moses to lead his people into the promised land but he would not go with them, because they were stiff-necked people, lest he consume them.3 But Moses intercedes for the people, show me your ways so we will know how to please you, and if you are not with us how will we know we have found favor in your sight? Because Moses interceded God would go with them, Moses then asks God show me your glory. This word for glory is from kabad which means weight, it speaks of heavy honor, splendor, glory. Such is the nature of trust, we find God is honorable, trust worthy. Is not the question one of trust? Moses asks how will I know, trust you are faithful, you are with me.
“I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name ‘The LORD.’ And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy."4
To rest is to enter into the presence of God. Many of the Israelites failed to enter into his rest thus his presence. "Now we who have believed enter that rest..."9 So we see we enter his presence through rest, and we rest by faith. This rest is more than just entering into a physical rest, I can physically rest on the Sabbath day and fail to enter into His rest. We see teachings today that have entered the church that seek to put faith and trust in the authority of men, in organizations and governments, in traditions of men, such heresy at its core seeks to eliminate faith and trust in God thus his children do not enter into his rest. They are hostile to those who live by faith. We must be diligent at entering his rest and we can only enter by faith.
Moses asked to see the glory of God, this was the glory of God, merciful and gracious... forgiving. He would send his Son in his fullness, of Grace and Truth. To enter his glory, his presence, the people only needed to trust Him. Some of the people of Israel did not enter God's rest because of disobedience, but as Paul writes they did not have faith, because trust is essential to faith, thus their disobedience was mis-trust or unbelief.
"Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in Him may have eternal life."17
God had told Moses to lead his people into the promised land but he would not go with them, because they were stiff-necked people, lest he consume them.3 But Moses intercedes for the people, show me your ways so we will know how to please you, and if you are not with us how will we know we have found favor in your sight? Because Moses interceded God would go with them, Moses then asks God show me your glory. This word for glory is from kabad which means weight, it speaks of heavy honor, splendor, glory. Such is the nature of trust, we find God is honorable, trust worthy. Is not the question one of trust? Moses asks how will I know, trust you are faithful, you are with me.
“I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name ‘The LORD.’ And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy."4
Moses needed guidance. It is God's goodness that leads men to repentance Paul writes.5 Surely such has been truth in my own life. How can the people be obedient if they do not know your ways? We must know God's ways to be obedient to God, "let me know your ways so that I might do your ways and find favor in your sight." Trust is an essential element of our faith, it is doctrines of men, traditions, rules and regulations that destroy trust, they lead people away from the truth, about who God really is. False religion can exchange the truth for a lie but by faith we can know God, we learn that God is trust worthy, he is faithful, by faith God will show us his ways and his goodness will pass before us.
Moses's face shined with the glory of God, the covenant God gave Moses was as the glory he saw. I believe this "afterwards," that Moses saw speaks to the glory of the Mosaic covenant as Paul writes, it was a "shadow" of the glory to come. "Indeed, a shadow the law having of the coming good things, themselves the form of things..."7 God would show Moses a shadow of his glory and make a covenant with him, a shadow of the new covenant which would come in the glory of His Son, who came in the fullness of the Father, of His glory. So we see there is no veil.
“My presence shall go with you, and I will give you rest.”
To rest is to enter into the presence of God. Many of the Israelites failed to enter into his rest thus his presence. "Now we who have believed enter that rest..."9 So we see we enter his presence through rest, and we rest by faith. This rest is more than just entering into a physical rest, I can physically rest on the Sabbath day and fail to enter into His rest. We see teachings today that have entered the church that seek to put faith and trust in the authority of men, in organizations and governments, in traditions of men, such heresy at its core seeks to eliminate faith and trust in God thus his children do not enter into his rest. They are hostile to those who live by faith. We must be diligent at entering his rest and we can only enter by faith.
"Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience."10
We must strive, be swift, be of full diligence to enter in his rest. We enter into His rest by faith, so we must seek that food which doesn't perish. Without Jesus we can not enter that rest. Jesus is the Word, the author of faith, by the Word we abide, remain. Our transformation comes in abiding in the Word, the truth shall set you free through this process; it is abiding which leads to knowing or understanding, which gives freedom in Christ.
"Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct your paths... It shall be health to your body and marrow to your bones"12
Often we neglect faith for other less weightier matters, like the Pharisees who tithed 10% of even their herbs but Jesus said to them, "you have neglected the more weightier matters of the law--justice, mercy and faithfulness."13 Faith is the key to pleasing God thus the key to all blessings. The Pharisees place heavy burdens on the people, but God sent his Son to give rest and reprieve to his people. Justice and righteousness brings peace, mercy brings forgiveness, faith brings trust.
"let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the household of faith."14
The leaders put heavy heavy burdens on the backs of God's people, and they did not lift a finger to help, but Jesus came not to condemn but to save. He said the kingdom of God would be hidden from the wise and would be revealed to little children.16 Jesus gave a warning for men who would hurt these little children. Those who do not care for his household how can they minister to the world? Especially, God cares for his household, how can they enter rest if their physical burdens are not lifted? The Church is God's children, it is the household of God, the children please God by faith thus it is a household of faith.
"let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the household of faith."14
The leaders put heavy heavy burdens on the backs of God's people, and they did not lift a finger to help, but Jesus came not to condemn but to save. He said the kingdom of God would be hidden from the wise and would be revealed to little children.16 Jesus gave a warning for men who would hurt these little children. Those who do not care for his household how can they minister to the world? Especially, God cares for his household, how can they enter rest if their physical burdens are not lifted? The Church is God's children, it is the household of God, the children please God by faith thus it is a household of faith.
"Turn to Me and be saved, all the ends of the earth; For I am God, and there is no other."15
There is a rest we must enter, it is by faith, we turn, look upon Jesus who has been lifted up. One can not enter in this rest but by grace through faith... If I do not trust in his goodness, I will not boldly enter into his presence, where he sits on a throne of Grace. If we his people are not taught grace, his unmerited favor, his unconditional love for us, then we can not enter his rest because we will not trust that he loves us, that such is a free gift, we will toil for his favor or we will have the fear of punishment, we will be too fearful to enter his presence. God put his hand over Moses and as he passed he said,
“the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin..."
When we do not trust we do not see the goodness of God, if we did we would enter his presence, into his rest. we would believe that he is trustworthy. It is a struggle we have today. When the people complained, God sent serpents to bite them. So the question is asked, was the serpents sent to punish them for disobedience or unbelief or was it to "help" them believe and trust in him? Surely the point was to teach them to enter into his rest, to trust him, as the serpent was lifted up, Christ has been lifted up for our trust.
I see the sign of the serpent very symbolic today, as today is the day of salvation. We are born into sin, bitten by poisonous snakes because of the sin of one man. The wage is death, the ultimate penalty for disobedience, for unbelief. But we see the ultimate solution to the problem is putting trust in the Son of God who was lifted up. He came not to condemn man but sin, that all who look upon him, believe, trust in him will be saved. It is a most glorious promise of the new covenant, not by works but by grace through faith we are saved... and we learn to abide, remain in his presence, rest in Him. By faith we enter into his rest, into his presence.
"come to me all those toiling and being burdened and I will give you rest."18
This word for rest is from aná, "by, in, through" which intensifies paúō, "I cause to cease, finish" – properly, to give (experience) rest; a primary verb ("pause"); to stop (transitively or intransitively), i.e. restrain, quit, desist, come to an end -- cease, leave, refrain. So we see "it is finished" by entering into that rest. However, it is not natural to do such a thing, we must "press" into this rest, it is a process "through" whereby we are completed. It is trusting in Jesus.
Look at the the young oxen yoked, restless, fighting the yoke... Jesus says rest, softly "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”19 Oh to enter God's rest, it is rest for the soul.
Eye of the Storm"come to me all those toiling and being burdened and I will give you rest."18
This word for rest is from aná, "by, in, through" which intensifies paúō, "I cause to cease, finish" – properly, to give (experience) rest; a primary verb ("pause"); to stop (transitively or intransitively), i.e. restrain, quit, desist, come to an end -- cease, leave, refrain. So we see "it is finished" by entering into that rest. However, it is not natural to do such a thing, we must "press" into this rest, it is a process "through" whereby we are completed. It is trusting in Jesus.
Look at the the young oxen yoked, restless, fighting the yoke... Jesus says rest, softly "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”19 Oh to enter God's rest, it is rest for the soul.